THE EX DEPUTY of Highways under the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing, Augustine Ojo Olowoniyan and Sulaiman Abdulkadir Muhammed, a Surveyor from the department of Highways and Planning, were charged by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC with N1.9 billion fraud.
The accused suspects were arraigned before High Court in Apo, Abuja on Wednesday led by Justice Jude Onwuegbuzie.
They face a three-count charge related to the alleged diversion and misappropriation of public funds allocated for the acquisition of titles for federal roads nationwide between March 4, 2019, and July 17, 2020.
According to the EFCC, the offence contravenes Section 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000.
One of the charges states, “That you, Augustine Ojo Olowoniyan, whilst serving as Deputy Director Highways, Federal Ministry of Works and Housing, and Project Coordinator for the acquisition of titles for Federal Roads, and Suleiman Abdulkadir Muhammed, whilst serving as Surveyor of the Department of Highways and Planning, Federal Ministry of Works and Housing, between March 4, 2019, and October 21, 2019, in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, used your office to confer corrupt advantage upon yourselves by putting to your own use the sum of N807,053,000 despite being funds budgeted for the acquisition of titles for Federal Roads Nationwide, thereby committing an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000.”
Both defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges. The EFCC’s prosecution counsel, Abba Muhammed (SAN), requested a trial date and urged the court to remand the defendants to a correctional facility.
However, defence lawyers J.K. Kolawole and A.S.U. Garba sought a short adjournment to file for bail and requested that their clients be held in EFCC custody pending the hearing.
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Justice Onwuegbuzie adjourned the case to April 3, 2025, for the bail application hearing and ordered that the defendants be remanded at Kuje Correctional Centre.
In a related case, the EFCC separately arraigned Olowoniyan on another three-count charge before the same judge for allegedly diverting an additional N439.5 million for personal use.
One of the charges reads, “That you, Augustine Ojo Olowoniyan, whilst serving as Deputy Director Highways, Federal Ministry of Works and Housing and Project Coordinator for the acquisition of titles for Federal Roads, and in such capacity entrusted with public funds, between March 27, 2019, and December 17, 2019, in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, transferred the cumulative sum of N301,994,200 to Chile Ushahemba (a staff of the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing) and received in cash the sum of N19,140,000, which you converted to your own use, thereby committing a criminal breach of trust contrary to and punishable under Section 315 of the Penal Code Law.”
Olowoniyan pleaded not guilty to these charges as well. The court adjourned the matter to April 3, 2025, for the bail hearing
